Backround
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Known to the German side as the Donets Campaign and to in the Soviet Union as the Donbas and Kharkov operations, the German counterstrike led to the recapture of the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod.
As the German Sixth Army was encircled in Stalingrad, the Red Army undertook a series of wider attacks against the rest of Army Group South. These culminated on 2 January 1943 when the Red Army launched Operation Star and Operation Gallop, which between January and early February broke German defenses and led to the Soviet recapture of Kharkov, Belgorod, Kursk, as well as Voroshilovgrad and Izium. The Soviet victories caused participating Soviet units to over-extend themselves. On 19 February, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein launched his Kharkov counterstrike, using the fresh II SS Panzer Corps and two Panzer Armies.
Launching its offensive on 3 March, the 3rd Tank Army’s 15th Tank Corps struck into advancing units of the 3rd SS Panzer Division and immediately went to the defensive. Ultimately, the 3rd SS was able to pierce the 15th Tank Corps’ lines and link up with other units of the same division advancing north, successfully encircling the Soviet tank corps. The 3rd Tank Army’s 12th Tank Corps was also forced on the defensive immediately, after the 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Divisions threatened to cut off the 3rd Tank Army’s supply route. By 5 March, the attacking 3rd Tank Army had been badly mauled, with only a small amount of men able to escape northwards, and was forced to erect a new defensive line.”
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Kharkov)
The Game
Situation
After several months of intense winter fighting, the Red Army is attempting to collapse the German Army Group South. Troops from both sides are being feed into the fight, resulting in a number of meeting engagements.
Objective: Hold two or more of the three objective road junctions at the end of the game.
Terrain: Typical Ukrainian steppe – mostly open with low rolling rises with numerous dirt roads and tracks and small wooded areas.
Special Rules:
- Play was cross the table.
- The Russians each received 2,000 points, while the Germans received 1,750. All units were built out of the Eastern Front Book.
- Half the Axis units began on the table, the remainder were Immediate Reserves.
- All of the Soviet units began moving on the table on Turn One, rolling as immediate reserves.
- The terrain was lightly frozen as the snow had just melted but re-froze the night before. No double time movements were allowed.
- All other terrain movement was normal except that the wooded areas were considered open woods with no bogging.
- Neither side purchased air power.
- The Soviets received the first move.
Forces:
The Axis consisted of an SS German Panzergrenadiers with heavy AT support on the left flank (Panzer IV and Marder platoons in reserve). An SS Panzergrenadier Company (PZ III and PZ IV reserves) and 1 captured KV-1 retrofitted with a German 75mman gun) on the right. All the Germans were rated as Fearlss Veteran.
The Soviet Force consisted of a Red Army Tank Brigade consisting of three Tank battalions, each comprised of two T-34 companies, one T-70 company and AAA support. One battalion in reserve.
Narrative
During the first two turns, the Russians surged towards the German line. One battalion moved against the German right flank as the other attempted to use the open center while screening the German front. Casualties were light until the German Panzers arrived. The Russian reserves started to arrive and attempt to turn the German left flank.
By Turns Three and Four, the German Panzers reinforced the line, the Russians were forced to seek hull down positions trying to reduce the number of losses. At this point the fight on the right turned into a cat fight where it all came down to the die rolls. At first, the Russians got the better of the clash, but slowly the German’s turned the tables.
On Turns Five and Six, the combat turned into two separate fights. At this point, one of the T-34 Battalions had penetrated the open gap and rolled in on the German right flank. This forced the Germans to fold back the Panzer line to face the threat, allowing the reserve Russian Company to close on the reduced firing line!
Over the next few turns, The right German flank managed to hold back the Russian onslaught, ultimately forcing their assailants to leave the field. However, the German left faced massive Soviet fire and began to lose his Panzers, forcing the collapse of the attacked Panzergrenadiers on Turn Ten.
Now, the German right swung it’s Panzers to catch the Soviets trying to regroup. The closest Battalion lost two of its companies and failed Battalion Morale! This left the remaining battered Soviet Battalion in no shape or position to contest the German front line.
The game was called with a (slightly less than) historic German victory as the Germans had two of three victory objectives. In reality, The German SS Panzer Corps slaughtered the 3rd Tank Army with minor losses.
– Manteuffel